LOO-JW - Alone in Antarctica: The First Woman to Ski Solo Across the Southern Ice - page 41

on extra layers. I couldn't help but think how different it was
to sharing a tent with three other women as I had the last
time I skied to the Pole. With everyone playing their part, it
had taken little more than an hour from the moment we woke
to our departure on skis. Everything took significantly longer
now that I was taking care of all the jobs myself. I pulled
out my daily food ration and separated the bag of breakfast.
Compressed into the bottom corner of the bag was a large
handful of oats mixed with generous quantities of sugar and
powdered milk, and which was already congealing into a tight
ball around the thick knob of butter I'd sliced into each portion.
I boiled the water ready to make the oats into porridge but
changed my mind at the last minute. My stomach felt bloated
with nerves and the thought of food made me want to retch. I
forced down some chocolate and stashed the rest of breakfast
with my cooking equipment.
Fastening my light windproof jacket and pulling down my
goggles I opened the tent door and stepped outside. The glare
of the snow made me squint. It was a beautiful day with a
solid blue sky and a slight, steady wind. I straightened up and
breathed in deeply. The cold air felt fresh and sharp, waking
me up as I stood and surveyed the mountains. It was the first
time I'd felt brave enough to look at them in detail. They were
arranged in front of me like a closely packed battalion. Those
at the back were chiselled into spires that stretched for the sky
while at their feet smaller hills and nunataks crowded together
creating an overlapping pastiche of rock and ice. The rise and
fall of the saddled ridges and lower summits resembled the
regular ridge and scoop of a scalloped shell.
I was amazed at the bright tones of the rock; while the
peaks in the distance were a dusky lilac, those closer by were